According to the daily Japanese paper, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Enix will unveil the next installment of the favored Dragon Warrior series this winter at Jump Festival 2003 in Japan. Until then, Enix will still hold true to its vow of silence regarding the game, much to the chagrin of fans. The details of this game are being shrouded in secrecy, and it is unknown whether this next installment will be Dragon Quest VIII or Dragon Quest Online, or even a combination thereof.

In addition, with the breakup of Heartbeat, Enix will be needing a new developer. GameArts and tri-Ace are two possibilities for this upcoming title, and this key decision could affect the direction of the Dragon Quest series.